Sorta-OT HP printer problems

A "print server"

Had a similar problem at work. Spent a lot of time and got nowhere. Called a printer service and the guy came out. Replaced a broken part and 20 minutes and $150 later it was running perfectly.

The printer didn't cost that much new ...

At the price of the low end printers and the cost of labor, they can often send a new printer cheaper than they can repair the old one.

Maybe the part was the printer. That is the way many low end printers are repaired.

Printers are disposable for the most part these days, unless you are needing a large format, high speed etc. laser or plotters.

I still sell a few brand new Dot Matrix printers every year or so. OkiData is still right in there, and so are Lexmark and Epson (both FX and LQ series).

They are still the workhorse on the production floor and in many warehouses.

Can't buy them at Walmart - or likely not even at Best Buy - but Staples carries them - and so do many VARs, and guys like me!!

Laser printers seem to do OK just sitting there. There are no ink cartridges to dry up and get gummy

I don't print a lot but when I do, I want it right then, not after driving up to Kinkos.

I used to repair VCR's and quite often the rubber pinch rollers would become dirty and shiny and cause the tape to slip. Same thing can happen with the paper rollers in a printer, provided the roller isn't worn or damaged PlatenClene did a good job of restoring the grip on them.

Kenny

Ed Pawlowski wrote:

The printer didn't cost that much new ...

| The problem isn't paper jams. It is PHANTOM paper jams.

Maybe. But it's worth checking all the possibilities. Most printers have alignment maintenance options.

I'm surprised that no company has come in to take over the printer industry. The ink is overpriced. The quality is poor, despite years of technology development. The cost of good printing is prohibitive. The machines are junky. Every printer I've had makes inexplicable noises at random times when it shouldn't be doing anything.

My current printer is an Epson. Not great. OK. But it holds me hostage whenever an ink cartridge gets low, and "low" seems to be a time- activated thing. I barely use it, yet it regularly "runs out" of ink. Worse, it won't let me do anything until I replace the cartridge. My old HP would let me keep printing poor quality with low black ink, and it would let me print grayscale if a color cartridge was gone. With the Epson, if yellow ink runs out and I want to print black I'm out of luck!

In that case, maybe it is cheaper to replace. The one we had fixed was $800 new.

Have you read the following?

Then, there is an HP forum where you can ask this question (after doing all on the above page):

Don.

I have gone as far as disassembling the printer as far as possible , cleaning everything in sight including all the gears , it still pops a paper jam message . I can't figure this one out , it's apparently a firmware problem . I guess it's possible there's a plastic part either broken or deformed ... I've given up , I'll be selling the new cartridges on ebay or something . I have another HP printer (4480 all-in-one IIRC) still at my house in Memphis , wishing now that I'd grabbed it along with the Samsung laser unit last time I was there . Apparently the "phantom paper jam" is a common problem with this series of HP printers , seen a lot of questions abot hte problem on the web . I may attempt to use just the scanner function , I did see an article describing how to do that .

My thanks to the many people that have posted suggestions , seems the best one was to toss it out . Anybody need some #61 cartridges ? I have 3 sets with photo paper in the package , all 3 for 60 bucks and I pay shipping . One package has been opened , but the cartridges are still sealed .

This printer has been running as a wireless , the first time it ever had a cable attached was for diagnostics out in my shop . The cable was brand new . I've just given up , I have another printer that will fill in until I can bring the one home next trip to Memphis .

If this think pops the jam message before it ever feeds, it has to be a sensor (no paper in the magazine). You should get a different indication if it is just out of paper.

When my laser all-in-one still didn't feed paper correctly, after spending like $23 for new separation pads and roller, I dumped the all-in-one and the replacement does not have a fax or paper feeder. (Just scanner, copier and printer.) I have another printer with the fax and feeder (though I never got its fax to send), so no need for them here.

I'm not into the hassles of shipping. I gave my near new toner cartridge away on the local Craig's List.

Don.

Nope - not on EBAY - I sell to my customers in my local area. One is a local manufacturer who has about 18 Okidata Dot Matrix printers in daily use.

They are also used in a lot of places like auto repair garages to print multi-part work orders and parts invoices - as well as thw printers on alignment machines and emission testing dynos -(which have recently been phased out) - and I have a few customers in those businesses as well.

Hi, From many different printers I owned HP gave most paper jams and paper trouble in general. Maybe it has something to do with their design(paper path) My last printer was Canon Pixma series MP990, a good photo printer for home use, I recall I never had any paper related trouble. Now moved onto Brother laser MFC, no paper related problem. It just chugs along with cheap paper I buy by the box at Wall mart.

"Terry Coombs" wrote in news:mk2tqn$d7g$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me:

My last HP was a Deskjet 1000. Frequent 'Out of Paper' IIRC when it wasn't. Same with a Canon Pixma MG3122. Both are in the corner gathering dust. I used to buy HP all the time too. No problems with previous printers for some 30+ years. I do have an ancient LJIII that I really should fix - paper pickup jams. But just don't print much anymore.

Now I have a Brother HL2240 laser. For now, I'll stick with Brother.

Good printers seem to be scarce these days.